The artistic programme brings together literature, music, theatre and visual art, inspired by Szymborska’s boundless curiosity, her unique perspective on the world and her ability to find extraordinary meaning in the smallest details of everyday life.
Wisława Szymborska was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1996 for “poetry that with ironic precision allows the historical and biological context to come to light in fragments of human reality”, according to the Swedish Academy’s citation. Since the prize was first awarded in 1901, 123 writers have received it, including just 19 women.
Although she wrote in Polish and explored a distinctly European reality, Szymborska has become one of the most beloved, widely read and frequently quoted poets in Israel. “It is always remarkable to see just how much Szymborska is loved by Hebrew readers,” says Magdalena Kukuła, Director of the Polish Institute in Tel Aviv. “Much of this is thanks to the wonderful Hebrew translations by Rafi Weichert and David Weinfeld, which have opened the door to her work for generations of readers. This week offers an opportunity to return to her words, discover new layers of meaning and celebrate the extraordinary dialogue her work creates between Poland and Israel.”
The festival’s guest of honour will be Michał Rusinek, Director of the Wisława Szymborska Foundation in Poland, writer, literary scholar, translator and poet. He served as the poet’s personal secretary and was among those closest to her during the final years of her life. Throughout the festival, he will share his insights into her work and legacy.
The artistic programme is curated by Rafi Weichert, professor, publisher and translator of Polish poetry into Hebrew; Yuli Shapira, cultural activist, performer and Head of Content at Beit Ariela; and Danit Tzamit, International Cultural Programmes Coordinator at the National Library of Israel.
“Israeli audiences’ love for Szymborska is a unique phenomenon in the history of poetry in Hebrew translation. Poetry lovers and literary scholars, writers, poets, historians and psychologists, Supreme Court justices and schoolteachers – all have embraced her work and made it an object of admiration. As her principal Hebrew translator, this is the greatest gift I could receive,” says Weichert.
At the heart of the programme are two literary and musical evenings in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, where writers and public figures will share their personal encounters with Szymborska’s poetry. The evenings will feature a musical dialogue between Israeli musician Guy Moses and Polish jazz trumpeter Jerzy Małek, combining jazz, electronic music and improvisation with recordings of the poet reading her own work.
The programme also includes Szymborska’s Drawers, a Beit Ariela production returning to the stage; the new theatrical production Lists, imagining a meeting between Szymborska and Italian writer Umberto Eco; and a collage workshop inspired by the poet’s paper artworks.
FESTIVAL PROGRAMME
Tuesday, 1 December | 18:00–21:00
Cut, Paste, Szymborska
Collage workshop led by Vivi Zohar Gan Mor
Polish Institute Library | Beit Psagot, 3 Rothschild Blvd., Tel Aviv, 22nd floor
Wisława Szymborska was not only a Nobel Prize-winning poet but also a passionate collage artist. She enjoyed cutting out pictures and words from newspapers and magazines, combining unexpected fragments into witty and surprising compositions that gave new meaning to everyday objects and images. Like her poetry, her collages reveal a playful imagination, a keen eye for detail and a wonderful sense of humour.
Inspired by her work, this hands-on workshop, led by multidisciplinary artist, designer and photographer Vivi Zohar Gan Mor, invites participants to experiment with cutting, tearing, arranging and pasting, and to create their own collages. Materials will include old Polish-language books, newspapers and magazines, including damaged and withdrawn library books. No knowledge of Polish or previous collage-making experience is required.
Participation is free of charge, with advance registration. Places are limited.
A second workshop will take place on Friday, 4 December, from 11:00 to 14:00.
Wednesday, 2 December | 17:00
Szymborska’s Drawers
A literary performance featuring Dror Keren and Lillian Berto
Beit Ariela | 25 Shaul Hamelech Blvd., Tel Aviv
What might be hidden in Wisława Szymborska’s drawers? Inspired by the poet’s declaration, “I prefer drawers”, this original production takes audiences into the world of the Nobel laureate from Kraków and explores the people, works and ideas that shaped her imagination.
The performance travels through the music of Ella Fitzgerald, the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen, the films of Woody Allen and the paintings of Johannes Vermeer. It also explores Szymborska’s thoughts on love, happiness and the creative process – subjects she often approached with characteristic modesty, frequently using the words “I don’t know”.
Opening remarks: Uri Ellis, Director of the Libraries Division, Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality; Michał Rusinek, Director of the Wisława Szymborska Foundation in Poland, writer, literary scholar, translator and poet, and Szymborska’s former personal secretary.
Created and developed by: Yuli Shapira and Ola Preminger
Performers: Dror Keren and Lillian Berto
Voice-over: Lia Koenig
Video art: Katia Shpelavia
Translation from Polish: Rafi Weichert
An original Beit Ariela production.
Special offer for Friends of the Polish Institute: Use the coupon code NOBEL when booking to receive a special discount!
Wednesday, 2 December | 20:30
A Little About the Soul
A special literary and musical evening dedicated to Wisława Szymborska
National Library of Israel, Jerusalem
Wisława Szymborska’s poetry addresses the great questions of human existence through the seemingly insignificant details of everyday life. It connects the ordinary with the extraordinary, humour with doubt, and compassion with curiosity, offering a fresh perspective on the familiar.
Hosted by writer Tehila Hakimi, the evening will feature poet Agi Mishol, actress Sarah von Schwarze, poet and translator Rafi Weichert, and musician Eran Tzur. They will share their personal encounters with Szymborska’s work, reflect on what her poetry means to them and explore how it continues to illuminate their everyday lives.
Between the readings, Israeli musician Guy Moses and Polish trumpeter Jerzy Małek will come together for a musical encounter. Blending jazz, electronic music and improvisation, they will create a musical dialogue inspired by Szymborska’s poetry, accompanied by recordings of the poet reading her own work.
Guest of honour: Michał Rusinek
Host: Tehila Hakimi
Participants: Rafi Weichert, Agi Mishol, Eran Tzur and Sarah von Schwarze
Thursday, 3 December | 19:30
My Szymborska
A special literary and musical evening dedicated to Wisława Szymborska
Beit Ariela | 25 Shaul Hamelech Blvd., Tel Aviv
What can poetry say to a neuroscientist, a former President of the Supreme Court, a philosopher and a novelist?
Hosted by poet and translator Rafi Weichert, the evening will bring together neuroscientist Prof. Idan Segev, award-winning writer Noa Yedlin, former President of the Supreme Court Esther Hayut and philosopher and writer Jeremy Fogel. Each guest will select poems that have left a lasting impression on them and share the thoughts, memories and associations they evoke. The poems will serve as a starting point for a conversation about the personal significance of Szymborska’s work and the ways in which her poetry continues to speak to us today.
Between the readings, Israeli musician Guy Moses and Polish trumpeter Jerzy Małek will perform original compositions inspired by Szymborska’s poetry, accompanied by recordings of the poet reading her own work.
Opening remarks: Sivan Shor, Director of Beit Ariela; Magdalena Kukuła, Director of the Polish Institute in Tel Aviv
Guest of honour: Michał Rusinek
Host: Rafi Weichert
Participants: Esther Hayut, Noa Yedlin, Prof. Idan Segev and Jeremy Fogel
Special offer for Friends of the Polish Institute: Use the coupon code NOBEL when booking to receive a special discount!
Friday, 4 December | 10:00–13:00
Cut, Paste, Szymborska
Collage workshop led by Vivi Zohar Gan Mor
Polish Institute Library | Beit Psagot, 3 Rothschild Blvd., Tel Aviv, 22nd floor
A second session of the collage workshop led by Vivi Zohar Gan Mor, inspired by Wisława Szymborska’s paper artworks. Full details about the workshop can be found in the description of the first session, on Tuesday, 1 December.
Admission: Free of charge, with advance registration. Places are limited.
Friday, 4 December | 11:00
I Prefer Lists
An imaginary encounter between Wisława Szymborska and Umberto Eco
Magid Community Centre | 63 Nordau Street, Tel Aviv
A new Beit Ariela production, created especially to mark the 30th anniversary of Szymborska’s Nobel Prize in Literature, in collaboration with the Polish Institute in Tel Aviv and the Italian Cultural Institute in Israel.
At first glance, Szymborska and Eco seem to be two writers moving in opposite directions. Eco created expansive literary worlds filled with historical labyrinths, secret societies and philosophical mysteries. Szymborska, by contrast, could discover an entire universe in an onion, a dead beetle or a cat left alone in an empty apartment.
Yet both writers shared a passion for collecting fragments of the world and transforming seemingly insignificant details into profound reflections on human existence. Both also rejected the romantic myth of inspiration arriving effortlessly, seeing writing instead as a daily practice rooted in curiosity, persistence and a willingness to question what we think we know.
The performance imagines a meeting between the Polish poet and the Italian writer, bringing together their ideas, observations and distinctive senses of humour. The literary dialogue is accompanied by music by Italian composers, including Nino Rota, Nicola Piovani, Ennio Morricone and Luciano Berio.
Created by: Yuli Shapira and Ola Preminger
Performers: Dror Keren and Ola Schur-Selektar
Video: Katia Shpelavia
Translation from Polish: Rafi Weichert
Piano and musical direction: Arnon Zimra
Accordion: Janusz Horowitz
Mandolin: Raziel Tzur
An original Beit Ariela production, in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute in Israel.
Special offer for Friends of the Polish Institute: Use the coupon code NOBEL when booking to receive a special discount!
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